<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Shadows Fall by aidennestorm</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26939986">Shadows Fall</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aidennestorm/pseuds/aidennestorm'>aidennestorm</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Let Mine Be the Last Sacrifice: The "Bound in Blood" Worldstate [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anger, Angst, Bad Future, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Hurt No Comfort, Lyrium Use</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:54:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>448</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26939986</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aidennestorm/pseuds/aidennestorm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In Redcliffe, the Herald of Andraste disappears into a swirl of magic.</p><p>In Haven, it’s hope that disappears.</p><p>(Or, a glimpse into the Bad Future, before Adaar and Dorian set things right.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Female Adaar/Cullen Rutherford, Female Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Let Mine Be the Last Sacrifice: The "Bound in Blood" Worldstate [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2220609</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Shadows Fall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>One raven after another flying into Haven is scarcely cause for concern; reports from Leliana and her scouts arrive at all hours, and leave the same way. But this—multiple ravens, a full unkindness of them, bearing messages and approaching together in a frenetic storm cloud of wings—</p><p>
  <span>Cullen’s witnessed myriad sights, so many improbable, impossible things. He’s never seen </span>
  <em>
    <span>this,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and foreboding claws his throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They land on tents and buildings, on heads and helmets. In the distance, Solas holds his staff aloft and a raven perches on the focusing crystal. Nearby, one settles on Cassandra’s shoulder as she extends her arm for another blow on a training dummy, and she nearly drops her sword in surprise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What can </span>
  <em>
    <span>possibly</span>
  </em>
  <span> be so important—” she growls, when the bird pecks at her. It doesn’t stop until she takes the rolled parchment from its leg and opens it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She reads it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Reads it again, eyes frantically scanning whatever words are written there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pales, and looks up into Cullen’s expectant stare, and rasps, “Maker save us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Time freezes, for just a moment. Stunned stillness like all of Haven is holding its collective breath, and then...</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Madness.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Clamor rises in the air and settles like a choking fall: </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Herald is dead. The Herald has fallen.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Cullen doesn’t need to see the proof for himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He already knows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s raised voices, wailing and screaming and shouted prayers, </span>
  <em>
    <span>in their blood the Maker's will is written—</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>A roar rises from the grounds around him except his throat tears and his lips peel back in a snarl and it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> roar, </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> voice: “Inquisition! </span>
  <em>
    <span>To arms!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He turns on his heel and tears into his tent like a man possessed (and he is, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>is,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Despair icing his chest and Rage burning in his gut, Fear crawling through his mind); he flings open his personal chest and shoves everything away besides the little wooden box containing his last philter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What were the last words he ever spoke to her? What did he say?</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why didn’t I tell her?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He grabs the thing and tears the lid clean off its hinges, closing his hand around the draught.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Meaningless, foolish, waste, I should have stopped you, Maker how could you take her, Herald forgive me Herah </span>
  </em>
  <span>Herah—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tips his head back and drinks every drop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lyrium crackles in his throat and strength surges in his limbs; he roars again and violently hurls the box across his tent, throws the empty vial to the unforgiving ground and shatters it beneath his boot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He breaks, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>breaks,</span>
  </em>
  <span> until he ceases to be man and becomes metal and blades and blood that does not weep.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>An unkindness of ravens is a real thing! I was surprised too...</p><p>To everyone that has commented on things I haven’t responded to yet: I see them, and I love them. Thank you for your patience. :) &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>